Cold-roll-feeding mechanism



Nov. 20, 1923 LWLQ G. C. KIMBALL ET L GOLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM FiledJune 24 1922 5 Sheets-Sheff?J 1 H/@fz EAL-741,935

Nov. 20, 1923 G. C. KIMBALL. ET AL CLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM 1922 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24 @ar wif/774% Nov. 20, i923 1,474,935

G. c. KIMBALL ET AL COLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24y 1922 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 20, i923 11,474,935

G. C. KIMBALL ET AL COLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24 1922 5Sheets-Shwt 4 NOV., 20,1923 [15474935 G; C. KIIMBALL ET M COLD ROLLFEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheeb- Patented Nov. 20,i923.

PATENT CIDFFHC.

GEORGE COOK KIMBALL AND HOWARD G. MCLVRIED, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL-VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE COMPANY, OF PITTS-BURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

COLD-ROLL-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application led June 24,

' To ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE COOK KIM- BALL and HOWARD G. MCILVRIED,citizens of the United States. and residents of Pittsburgh, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have vinvented certainnew and useful Improvements in Cold-Roll- Feeding Mechanisms, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic feeding devices for sheets or platesand while not limited thereto, relates particularly to a device forfeeding metal plates and sheets to cold rolls, and has for its principalObject the provision of a feeder of this class that will be entirelyautomatic and one that. will follow as nearly as possible the feedingmovement followed in hand feeding i. e. a vertical and transverse orhorizontal movement.

Another Object is to provide means for bowing the lifted plate toprevent a second plate adhering thereto.

Another object is to provide means for separating the sheetsas one islifted from a pack.

Other Objects and advantages will be more fully brought out in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the `accompanymg drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine with the motor andreduction gearing iemoved for clearness.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation thereof. I

Fgure3 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail showing the cross head and othermechanism for operating the lifting arms.

Figure is an enlarged detail of the vacuum cup and control valvemechanism therefor.

This feeder is arranged in close proximity to the entrance side of thecold rolls A and B and is adapted to feed the plates between the u perroll A and the feed or billy roller The feeder comprises a main framemem- 1922. Serial No. 570,734.

ber 2 which has its ends 3 arched. A center support and cross head guidecomposed of members 4 and 5,'is secured to the ends 3 and serves tosupport the operating motor 6, the Worm drive reductiongearing 7, andoperating crank shaft 8 which are secured on said support. The motorarmature shaft 9 is connected to the worm shaft 10 of the worm drivegearing 7 by a flexible coupling l2, and the Worm wheel shaft 14 isoperatively connected to the crank shaft 8 by a drive chain 15 trainedover a sprocket 16 on the worm shaft and a' sprocket 17 on the crankshaft 8.

The members 4 and 5 have downwardly extending portions 18 and 19.respectively. which form the cross head guideway 20. A cross head 21 ismounted for vertical reciprocatory movement in the guideway and isprovided with supporting bars or arms 22 and 23 spaced one above theother. A connecting rod 24 is pivotally secured to the crank shaft 8 andto the upper supporting rod or arm 22.

Lifting arm guides 25 and 26 are mounted on the rods or arms 22 and 23adjacent their opposite ends and are provided with guide portions orsleeves 27 in which lifting arms 28 and 29, respectively, are slidablymounted,

Each of the arms 28 and 29 is provided with compression springs 30 and31 adapted to be engaged by the upper sleeve 27 of the guides 25 and 26,respectively. The lower spring 30 is so arranged that it will be undercompression when the cross head is in its lowermost position and so willhold the arm in engagementl with the plates to be lifted, while theupper spring 31 is adapted to be engaged by the guide when it is movedupwardly by the cross head and acts to cushion the up stroke.

The lifting arms 28 and 29 are of tubular construction and are providedwith vacuum cups 33 and 34 at their lower ends which are adapted toengage and hold the plates during the upward movement of the liftingarms.

The upper ends of the lifting arms 28 and 29 are connected to flexiblevacuum tubes 35 and 36, respectively, which extend rearwardly and havetheir other ends connected to suitable ta s leading from a vacuum orsuction pipe 3%.

The vacuum cups 33 and 34 are each provided with valve orts 38 openingto the interior of the lifting arms and valve ports 39 opening to theatmosphere. The ports 38 and 39 are adapted to be alternately opened andclosed by the valves 40 and 4l on valve stem 42, which 'is adapted to beactuated by a lever 42a and normally held in closed position. That is,in the position in which valve 4l is seated to close port 39 by a spring43 which normally holds the operat ing lever 42 in raised position.However, when the lifting arms are raised the lever 42 engages a trip 44and is forced downwardly so as to reciprocate the valves 4() and 41,thus closing the port 38 and opening port 39 to the atmosphere. Thisoperation will break the vacuum in thel cups and release the plate.

A third valve port. is provided opening through the bottom of the cup.This port is normally closed by a plunger valve 45 and is only openedwhen the lifting arms are moved into engagement with the plate to belifted, at which time the plunger of the valve which projects below thecup will engage the plate and be moved upwardly, thus opening the valveport and permitting suction to draw the plate up againstthe cup. Thevalve 45 will automatically close when the plate is discharged from thecups.

A feeder shaft4 46 is journaled in bearings 47 on the sides of the mainframe and carries two sets of feeder arms 48 and 49 which extendradially relative to the shaft and are secured to hubs 50 and 51, res)ectively, which are keyed to the shaft. l`he feeder arms are preferablyarranged in sets of four but any number may be used according to thespeed of rotation of the shaft 46.

The shaft 46 has a gear 52 on its one end in mesh with a pinion gear 53on the end of the crank shaft 8. and the gear ratio is such that theshaft 46 will rotate at such a speed that one each of the feeder arms 48and 49, which arms are in alinement, will engage the rear side edge ofthe plate at the instant it reaches its highest point and substantiallysimultaneously with the oper` ation of the valves 4() and 41. which areoperated to break the vacuum in the cups 33 and 34. Preferably thevalves 4() and 4l will open the instant the arms 48 and 49 operativelyengage the plate.

The arms 48 and 49 have their free ends bent to form a hook portion 54which serves to support the plate. It will be readily geen that therotary feeder arms 48 and 49 will feed the plate forwardly as the vacuumis broken and will thereby move the forward side edge of the plate intothe bite of the feed roller C and top roll A, thereby causing it toenter the bite of the rolls A and B.

A pair of air blast nozzles 55 and 56 are arranged behind the plates tobe lifted and at a point above the uppermost plate and below the levelto which the plates are lifted by the lifting arms. The nozzles 55 and56 are connected to branches 57 and 58 lead ing from an air supply pipe59. The nozzles 55 and 56 are adapted to direct a blast of air under thelifted plate to separate the sheet from the others of the pack .for itsentire length.

A sheet guard 60 is secured to the frame 2 adjacent its forward end andprojects downwardly to a point slightly above the plates to be liftedand serves to guide the sheets into the bite of the feed roller C androll A, and also prevents the sheets from being whipped too high by theair blast and movement of the feeder arms.

Due to the inherent vacuum existing between closely packed sheets whenattempting to separate them at a rapid rate, there is a tendency for twoor more sheets to adhere. ln order to overcome this tendency anautomatic separator has been provided which comprises supportingbrackets 61 secured to each side of the main frame 2 on a line with thelifting arms 28 and 29, and having Supporting arms 62 extendingoutwardly therefrom. A hanger 63 is slidably mounted on each of the arms62 and adjustably locked in position by set screw 64. A crank shapedseparating arm 65 is pivotally mounted on the lower end of each of thchangers 63 and has its forward end provided with a serrated separatinghead 65a adapted to overhang the plates to be separated. The separatingarms are normally forced downwardly against the plate by a spring 66 andare adapted to be quickly releasetf from the plates by a bell crankshaped operating lever 67 pivotally mounted on the hanger and having itsone end bearing against the rear end of the crank shaped 4 separatingarm.

It will be readily understood that as the lifting arms 28 and 29 raisethe plates from the pack the plates will be forced to bend or bow inorder to pass the separating arms` 65. As the plates pass the arms 65their edges will be forced to grate over the serrated head 65 of thearms 65` thus insuring the separation of any plates that may have atendency to adhere to the liftel plate.

We claiml. In an automatic plate feeder, a lifting arm having means foradhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for lifting said arm andplate, and rotary feeding arms for engaging said plate and moving it ina direction transversely of said lifting movement.

2. In an automatic plate feeder` a pair of lifting arms having means foradhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for lifting said arms andplate, and rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the one side edge ofthe plate adjacenteach end and move it. in a direction transversely ofsaid lifting movement.

3. In an automatic plate feeder, a pair of lifting arms having means foradhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for moving said arms andplate vertically, andVY rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the oneside edge of the plate adjacent each end and move it horizontallyindependent of said lifting arms.

4. In an automatic plate feeder, a lifting arm having a vacuum cup onits lower end for engaging anlholding a plate, means for moving said armvertically, means for automatically breaking the vacuum in said cup. andmeans for engaging the plate and moving it horizontally relative to saidarm substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuumbreaking means.

5. In an automatic plate feeder, a plurality of lifting arms havingvacuum cups on their lower ends for engaging and holding a plate, meansfor moving said arms vertically. means for automatically breaking thevacuum in said cups at a predetermined point in the vertical travel ofsaid lifting arms, and rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the oneside edge of the plate adjacent each end and move it horizontallyrelative to said lifting arms substantially simultaneously with theoperation of said vacuum breaking means.

6. In an automatic plate feeder, a lifting arm having a vacuum cup onits lower end for engaging and holding a plate, means for reciprocatingsaid arm vertically, means for automaticallyy breaking the vacuum insaid cup at a predetermined point in the travel of said lifting arm.means for engaging the plate and moving it horizontally relative to saidarm substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuumbreaking means, and means for directing a blast of air under the platebeing lifted to assist in separating it. from others of a pack.

7. In an automatic plate feeder, a plurality of lifting arms havingvacuum cups on their lower ends for engaging and holding a plate, meansfor moving said arms vertically. means for automatically breaking thevacuum in said cups at a predetermined point in the vertical travel ofsaid lifting arms, rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the one sideedge of the plate adjacent each end and move it horizontally relative tosaid lifting arms substantially simultaneously with the operation ofsaid vacuum breaking means, and a plurality of nozzles for directing ablast of air under the plate being lifted to assist in separating itfrom others of a pack.

8. In an automatic plate feeder'for feeding single plates from a pack, alifting arm having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate,means for moving said arm and plate vertically, and means for flexiblyengaging the side edges of the plate being lifted to bowsaid plate andseparate it from others that may adhere thereto.

9. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack, alifting arm having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate,means for moving said arm and plate vertically, means for bowing saidlifted plate to separate it from others that may adhere thereto, andmeans independent of said lifting arm for moving the lifted platehorizontally.

10. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack,a lifting arm having means for adhesively engagin and holding a plate`means for moving sai arm vertically, means for bowing said lifted plateto separate it from others that may adhere thereto, means independent ofsaid lifting arm adapted to engage and move the plate horizontally, andmeans for directing an air blast under the lifted plate.

11. In an automatic plate feeder, a plurality of lifting arms havingvacuum cups on their lower ends for engaging and holding a plate, meansfor moving lsaid lifting arms vertically, said means including a rigidcross head guide, a cross head mounted in said guide, cross arms mountedin said cross head and engaging said lifting arms, a crank shaft, aconnecting rod mounted on said shaft and secured to said cross head,means for operating said shaft, means for breaking the vacuum to saidcups at a predetermined point in the upward travel of said lifting arms,and a plurality of feeding arms mounted on a rotary shaft, said feederarms being adapted to engage the lifted plate substantiallysimultaneously with the operation of said vacuum breaking means to movesaid plates horizontally relative to said lifting arms.

12. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack,means for lifting a plate. and means for iieXibly engaging the sideedges of the plate during its lifting movement to bow the lifted plateand separate it from others that may adhere thereto.

13. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack,means for liftlll@ ing a plate, and a pair of spring pressed holdingarms havingr several ends adapted to engage the side edges of the platebeing lifted to thereby bow said plate, and to ride down over the :sideIedges of the lifted plate and dl'algr other adhering plates away fromsaid lifted plate.

14. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack,means for lifting a plate vertically, means for blow- 10 ing a currentof air under the late being lifted to assist in separating it rom othersof the pack, and means for moving the lifted plate horizontally.

ln testimony whereof we have hereunto 15 set our hands.

GEORGE COOK KIMBALL.

HOWARD G. MCILVRIED.

